Bedtime Story
by whitereflections12
Summary: WARNING, DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T FINISHED BREAKING DAWN! Alright. This is set during Breaking Dawn, just some random fluff with Carlisle and his granddaughter after she speaks her first sentence. Not quite so happy with the title.. Reviews are love.


This is the result of what happens to you when you get Breaking Dawn (or any other amazing book, I suppose. But the only thing above or at this level of amazingness are the other Twilight books and Harry Potter. Narrows the list. Anyway….)and then go out of town for a week. Yup. Got it at a midnight party, finished by Sunday afternoon, but on Sunday morning I had left for vacation. So all week long, I'm computerless and running through scenes/scenarios in my head. Some of them will never be anything more than personal, but several of them will because I feel like writing. They're mostly fluff, because I was in a very fluff-inducing mood. Heh

This first one is Carlisle and Renesmee centric….because grandfather!Carlisle is just adorable. :cuddles:

Nope, don't own it. Wish I did. You know how it goes.

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_April 4, 1925_

_I heard today a strange tale from one of the old women. A girl came back to the village this morning covered in bruises. Alarmed, I asked after her. The diseases down here take such foreign forms, I was terrified it was catching, as well as concerned for her well being. I was informed by an old medicine woman that the girl would be banished, for she was suspected of forbidden relations. When I questioned her further, she told me the tale of a creature, I cannot determine if he is demon or vampire though he is certainly one of the two. A creature that preys only on beautiful young women, never killing them but leaving them pregnant with children whose births tear them apart from the inside. Though I write it off as folklore, I cannot help but fear the existence of real predators, rival men from another tribe perhaps. I regret most strongly that I had to bring my Juliana with me on this voyage, for I fear she is not safe here. _

Well. That was very enlightening. I drummed my fingers on the edge of the faded diary at a slow tempo, contemplating. I had been lucky in finding the diary, that was certain. It showed me that we were, indeed, on the right track. There had, at least at one time, been a vampire in South America leaving pregnant women behind him, particularly in a certain geographic region. But why? Was he from there? Did he choose them to experiment because he was isolated? If it worked, was there a woman who he planned to impregnate? All unanswerable questions with only the information I had. I needed more, more that I wouldn't get until we took that trip. I needed –

Apparently, I hadn't been paying much attention to the outside world, but the sound of footsteps on the landing outside my office was loud enough to not be ignored. "Carlisle?"

Bella. "Yes, come in, Bella." I could show her the diary. She'd certainly be pleased with the progress. But there was something else I noticed in the split second before the door opened, like the sound of a hummingbird's…ah. I slid the diary shut, maneuvering it quickly under a stack of papers. Renesmee was very quick, and I wasn't ready to explain about our research yet. She wasn't old enough to worry about her future. Old enough to understand, perhaps, but even so I wanted-no, we _all_ wanted- for her to remain a child as long as possible.

Bella slid in the door gracefully, something I had to admit I was still getting used to. Part of me was still waiting for the old clumsy Bella to make an appearance, the familiar Bella that I seemed to be forever patching up. I couldn't say I truly missed that, however. Not really. The smile she gave me just then was a reinforcement of what I already knew. This was Bella, Edward's Bella, my Bella. The clumsiness was one of very few inconsequential things she had lost. She grinned broadly at me, and I waited for the news- the clearly big news. "You should be proud, Carlisle. Her first words were about you."

Even after over three hundred years, every now and then a moment like this occurred. Making love to Esme, pulling Edward into my arms after I'd thought I'd lost him in Italy, hearing my new daughter cry out in pain as my grandchild broke her ribs…all moments I would have sworn I could feel my heart jolt to life. And again just now, when I heard this news. "Really?" I probably sounded like a kid on Christmas morning. In Disneyland. Whose parents had just won the lottery. Not that I cared. "What did she say?"

"She asked where you were, only because Rose didn't know and I was across the room. I think she probably could have talked much sooner, she just doesn't really like to her. Her normal way is best." At that, Nessie twisted to press her palm to her mother's neck. "Yes, that's fine. I don't care how you talk." Her eyes met her daughter's for a moment, gentle, before turning back to me, and I was taken in once again by how easily Bella had taken to her new role. As if she had always been a mother. A vampire mother at that. It was times like this I knew Renee had been right. She was an old soul. "So, I picked her up, and she told me in her usual way that she wanted you. She showed me a memory…she was small then, you were reading to her in here. I don't remember-"

I almost grimaced, not at the memory but at the time frame. "You wouldn't. You were still out."

She nodded, understanding. "That's what I thought. But she loved it, and you've been up here so much lately…she says she misses you. So if you aren't too busy-"

"Never." Those warm brown eyes met mine and I smiled, only for her. "I'm sorry that I've been so busy lately, I've had some research to do, and I have problem with letting that sort of thing run away with me. I haven't been the best grandfather lately, have I?"

"Don't worry, Carlisle, you've been fine." Bella answered for her, though in the same moment Renesmee twisted to reach for me with both hands.

It certainly wasn't the first time she had reached for me, but the pull never lessened. She had a draw on my very soul. I held my arms out to her instantly, reaching almost as desperately. "Come here, little one." Bella let her go, and she came to me happily, her little body nestling comfortably against my chest. Immediately, she pressed her warms hands to my cheeks.

First, an apology. She hadn't meant that I was a bad grandfather at all. "I know that, love." I bent my head to kiss her forehead softly. "It was what I was calling myself. Not anything I thought you were thinking." She contradicted that, indignant that I would consider myself any less than how she saw me. Seeing how she saw me, however, I could understand a little bit of Edward's self loathing. Well, not perhaps loathing. But unworthiness. This beautiful little creature loved me beyond all I deserved. "As I love you, my little Nessie."

I tensed then, catching myself too late. Nessie. Well, I was about to get it.

Or not. A quick glance up told me that Bella had left while I was absorbed in our conversation. Good, at least one time I wouldn't have to be scolded. Even when she didn't say it, the reproach was in her eyes. Silly, really. Nothing wrong with the nickname Nessie. I thought it was cute. But then again, I hadn't named her. I focused my attention fully on the child in my arms, then. On the memory she was showing me. It was one I remembered oh so well, bittersweet. My son, almost as comatose as his wife, my daughter. He wouldn't leave her side, not for anything, and while the haunted look in his eyes was not nearly what it had been when he thought the baby was killing her, it was bad enough. I had held him for awhile, let him rest his head on my shoulder when he seemed too weary, too heartsick to hold it up any longer. I had comforted him as best I could, but he barely even moved. I think he was counting. Either heartbeats or breaths, I couldn't be sure. But it certainly wasn't seconds. Those were probably passing with more regularity.

Jacob had fallen asleep on the couch, and I had taken her from Rose's arms, complaining that I had had no real time with my granddaughter. And that first afternoon together, I had read to her. Robert Frost, Lord Byron, Shakespeare. At the time she was still too little to quite understand, but it was almost eerie how close she felt to grasping it. Now, she would probably have no trouble. "Would you like me to read to you some more? That was fun, wasn't it?" Yes, she agreed. Especially if I would pick up where I had stopped. Thank goodness for my perfect recall. Being a vampire had its drawbacks, but there was something to be said about being a grandfather at 23. An immortal 23.

I tucked her into one arm as leaned back to pull the thick leather bound volume from the shelf. It wasn't dusty. Esme and I both loved Shakespeare. As did Edward. And everyone else in the family, as far as I knew. I flipped it open , whirling through the pages. "Hmmm…Julius Ceaser?"

A small, hot hand pressed to my neck. She was mildly scolding, surprised that I'd forgotten. I chuckled, smiling even broader when I found that she liked the sound. "No, I didn't forget. Just making sure _you_ didn't fall asleep." I winked, and I could feel my chest warm when she hit me playfully in response. "Alright, alright. Here we are. Romeo and Juliet." She settled in more comfortably, head cradled on my shoulder. I could feel her soft breath on my neck, hear her fragile heart so close to where mine should have been beating. " 'Romeo, Romeo…wherefore art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name. Or, if thou will not, be but sworn my love and I'll no longer be a Capulet!' "

A fresh image stopped me. Jacob, and I could feel a question in it. An image of his pack, of his distance from them. It wasn't hard to distinguish her question, but phrasing the answer was a bit…tedious. I wasn't sure how much to tell her. How much Edward would want me to tell her. He was, after all, the classic overprotective farther. He was ready for her to belong to Jacob, especially when she had only barely belonged to him. Still…love was love. "Yes. Jacob would leave them for you. He was ready to do it. But they have laws governing love in his tribe, in a sense. No wolf could ever stand against the object of another's love. He doesn't have to make that choice. But if he did, he would have chosen you, have no doubts." Even if it annoyed Edward, I wouldn't take it back. It was true, and he knew it. As odd as it all might seem, Jacob loved her. That made him family. One day, he truly would be. For the time being, I had already accepted him. Things would go much smoother if Edward would do the same…I knew Rosalie never would.

I brushed a strand of curls back from her eyes and continued, reading on all the way to the tomb before her eyelids even drooped. It was there they grew heavy, before Romeo had gone inside. She wouldn't want to miss this part. I slid the book closed gently, rocking her until she drifted off completely. She turned in her sleep, her tiny right hand clutching at me until she had a fistful of my 

shirt in her secure hold. I almost laughed, but caught it, determined not to wake her. She didn't have to worry. I wasn't going anywhere.

I would have never dreamed, a few months before, that I could ever be so blessed. To not only gain a daughter, but a grandchild! I had spoken with Esme, long ago, about the possibly that any pair of our children might choose to adopt, as we had. We had agreed that it was possibly, even probable down the road. In my wildest daydreams, I would have never concocted this. Looking at her, at peace in my arms, I could see them both. Edward's hair. Bella's gentle blush. His features mingled with hers on a face so breathtakingly beautiful it would have put angels to shame. And God knows, I mean no disrespect. Her beauty simply defied all description. Even more so, perhaps, because I could not be more prejudiced. There is no way I could love her any more.

She shifted again in her sleep, her grip on me tightening. "Don't worry. I've got you." I touched her cheek gently, in search of her dreams. She was hunting, her prey always out of reach. Perhaps I should invest in one of those dream analyzing books for my library. Or write my own. There wouldn't be any for half-vampries. I grinned at my own joke, filling it away to share with Edward. He would appreciate it. I kissed her forehead again, not sure if it would make any difference to the unpleasantness of her dream. Her skin felt so soft next to mine, though I knew it was at least almost as hard. The softness was a contrast, as was the way her small frame fit into my arms. " I love you." The difference that it made to me, saying it, did mean something. She was mine. Not as thoroughly as she belonged to Edward and Bella, or even to Jacob, but all the same she was mine. Mine to love, mine to protect. Mine to dote on, to adore. Perhaps it would have been more accurate to say that I was hers. I could already see that I would bend readily, happily to her every whim.

And for that, I would never be sorry.

:;;;

There it is! Let me know what you think, please! Reviews feed me…

Next: Jasper and Renesmee

Because Jasper hardly gets enough time with anyone, but he really didn't get enough with her, though it was stated that he loved and adored her as much as everyone else…and I think he would have loved the chance to be an uncle, to prove himself. Jasper to me also seems very hungry to be loved….anyway, that's the next one. I had meant to do it tonight too but yeah…I'm too tired. 1:31. I'm going to bed shortly.


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